The exploits of "E 11" in the Dardanelles have been published during
the war; this boat, however, did not begin her war career in the Sea of
Marmora--she had already shown her usual attitude of contemptuous
familiarity towards the enemy when on patrol in the Heligoland Bight.
On one occasion in 1914 she certainly met a "ghost"--_i.e._, something
which never gave any satisfactory explanation of what it was. "E 11"
was diving in sight of Heligoland, and having sighted a line of four
destroyers coming over her horizon, she turned in to attack them.
Suddenly her bow was jerked up to a startling angle, and tanks had to
be hastily flooded to prevent a "break surface." The boat then seemed
to go crazy--taking angles by the bow or stern apparently in defiance
of all laws of hydrostatics. The captain made up her mind for her by
running her down to the bottom in 65 feet and holding her there. In a
few minutes the sound of screws came from overhead, and the same sound
continued for several minutes. "E 11" was then dived up off the bottom,
but was found to be still in the same strange condition, taking up this
time an angle of 20 degrees up by the bow. She was once more taken down
and held to the bottom, while again screws passed by and curious noises
came from overhead. The noises went on for an hour, during which time
the officers and crew--with the business-like decision of the British
nation--had tea. When the noises had stopped "E 11" was again lifted,
when she showed a perfect trim and instant obedience to her
hydroplanes, proceeding along at her normal patrol depth as if she had
never given any trouble at all. Nothing was in sight through the
periscope except Heligoland, and the explanation of "E 11's" hysteria
is still her own secret.
The same boat, as was reported at the time, shared a Christmas dinner
with some representatives of the R.N.A.S. on the day of the 1914
Cuxhaven air raid. The Germans have not given us their version of what
happened, but from the following it will be seen that it is a pity that
they did not publish an uncensored story.
At 11 A.M. "E 11" was diving on her billet to the westward of
Norderney, when she saw through the periscope a seaplane coming out to
seaward and flying low. She came to the surface, and, having been
placed on that billet "according to plan," was not surprised to find
that the machine was British. The seaplane took the water safely, and
"E 11" took her in tow with the idea of saving the machine. The pilot
(carrying his confidential bomb-sight with him) was taken on board
first. Hardly had the tow started when two more seaplanes were seen
approaching from the direction of the shore, one of them flying very
groggily and looking like an imitation of a tumbler pigeon. "E 11"
stopped and the machines closed her; so did a large Schutte-Lanz type
airship, which was presumably in pursuit of them. Of the two seaplanes
the undamaged one came down comfortably close to the submarine, and
then all spectators stood up to watch the alighting of the other,
which was seen to have had its tail shot off and to be under the
nominal control of its ailerons only. Everybody held their breath as
the pilot brought the machine down, and there was a general groan of
sympathy as the crash came. She pitched nose first into the sea, and
it looked as though the pilot could hardly have survived; then a wet
figure was seen to climb slowly out of the wreck and perch
cross-legged on the tip of the broken tail. By this time the enemy
airship had arrived, and "E 11" realised that speed in picking up the
seaplane pilots was becoming more advisable every minute. An
additional complication chose this moment to turn up in the shape of a
U-boat,[3] which appeared on the surface about two miles away and then
dived--presumably to attack with torpedoes. "E 11" at this stage of
the war was unfortunately not fitted with a gun. She slipped tow from
Number One seaplane and fired several revolver bullets through its
floats to ensure its sinking. She then closed Number Two and took the
pilot and observer off her just as the airship arrived overhead at a
height of two hundred feet. The faces of the Germans in the gondolas
could be clearly seen, and the men in the middle car were displaying
considerable activity--probably wrestling with a faulty bomb-dropping
gear. Before the bombing business was in working order, however, the
light breeze had carried the airship down to leeward--much to the
relief of "E 11," who saw the enemy restart her engines in order to
make a sweep round and get into position again. "E 11" having
punctured the floats of Number Two seaplane with bullets, manoeuvred
alongside Number Three, and picked up a very wet pilot and mechanic.
By this time there was every probability of the U-boat having
approached inside easy torpedo range--in fact "E 11" was wondering why
the expected torpedoes were so slow in arriving. For this reason, and
also because the airship was now nearly back overhead again, any
further delay was rash, and so the pilot and mechanic were
unceremoniously hustled below, and "E 11" demonstrated to them what a
"crash-dive" was like from inside. The depth gauges had just reached
nineteen feet when two heavy explosions occurred on the surface,--the
enemy's bomb-dropping gear was working nicely again, but too late. "E
11" went under feeling a little hurt at having had to leave a job
unfinished; she had meant to sink Number Three seaplane before
leaving, and was unhappy at the idea of it being still of use to the
enemy. On rising sufficiently to use her periscope, however, she was
delighted to observe the Schutte-Lanz venting its hate in machine-gun
fire on the abandoned machine--an expenditure of ammunition which
continued until the sorely-tried raider sank. "E 11" was for a moment
inclined to come up to pass a polite signal of thanks to the enemy,
but, after consultation, it was decided that humour was wasted on
Germans, and so the boat was taken on to the bottom for a rest while
the Xmas dinner was disposed of. The five passengers shared the
dinner, and presumably enjoyed the day, but it blew half a gale and
more all the way home to Harwich, and the motion of an "E" boat takes
a lot of getting used to.
[3] Later discovered to be another E-boat.
Everybody has read of the doings of this submarine in the Sea of
Marmora, and I will try to avoid writing about despatches already
published; but I think the actions between submarines and soldiers have
been perhaps only lightly touched on, in view of the fact that such
actions are so unique in their nature and circumstances.
In August 1915 "E 14" and "E 11" met at a rendezvous in the Marmora
with the intention of acting on "information received." "E 11" says:--
"August 7th, 5 A.M.: Dived by Dohan Aslan Buoy, keeping watch on
road.
"11.30 A.M.: Observed troops on road leading towards Gallipoli.
Rose to surface and opened fire, several shots dropping well
amongst them, causing them to scatter. Observed column approaching
along same road. Range of the road now being known from our
position, dropped several shells among them. Column took cover in
open order.
"1.10 P.M.: Large column observed on road nearer Gallipoli,
marching at high speed. Opened fire, but failed to stop progress
of column, although a large number of dead and wounded appeared to
be left alongside the road. This column was under fire for about
half an hour, when we were forced to dive by shore guns.
"3.20 P.M.: Rose to surface and opened fire at a considerable body
of troops, apparently resting. They immediately dispersed, and
subsequently opened a well-directed fire with a field gun. Dived."
"E 14" (her captain, Commander Boyle, was senior to Commander Nasmith
of "E 11") says:--
"August 7th ... at 1.30 P.M.: I saw more dust coming down the
road. Rose to the surface, and opened fire on troops marching
towards Gallipoli. "E 11" was firing at the time I came up. I had
stationed her to the north-east of Dohan Aslan Bank, and she first
shelled the troops on a part of the road showing there, and then
came down to my billet, where we both shelled them for the best
part of an hour. I got off forty rounds, and about six of them
burst in the middle of the troops. I had to put full range on the
sights and aim at the top of the hill, so my shooting was not very
accurate. "E 11" having a 12-pdr., did much more damage, and
scattered the troops several times. Soon after 2 P.M. they started
firing on us from the shore and out-ranging us."
"E 11" on August 18th:--
"7 A.M.: Rose to surface near Dohan Asian Buoy to bombard troops,
but they scattered before fire was opened.
"8.30 A.M.: Rose to surface and opened fire on large convoy on
road, several shells falling among them before they managed to
scatter.
"9 A.M.: Observed fire springing up where our shots had fallen.
This rapidly increased in size, until in the afternoon and evening
it had assumed very large proportions."
A U-boat was captured by cavalry in 1918, but that case was perhaps
exceptional. In the Napoleonic wars it was customary for English
frigates to fire at French troops marching along the coast-roads of
Spain, so that the E boats in the Marmora were only repeating history,
but they certainly showed that the new weapon was a most disconcerting
one for troops to have to reply to.
I do not intend to fill pages with unexplained despatches, but the
following extracts explain themselves, and, in any case, are too good
to be omitted from any submarine history.
"E 11" (Commander Nasmith):--
"May 23rd, 5.50 A.M.: Observed Turkish torpedo-gunboat at anchor
off Constantinople. Attacked and sank her with port-bow torpedo,
striking her amidships on the starboard side. While sinking she
opened fire with a 6-pdr. gun, the first round hitting the
foremost periscope. Proceeded to position north of Kalolimno
Island. Rose to surface, and prepared damaged periscope for new
top.
"10.30 A.M.: Hands to bathe.
"May 24th, 10.30 A.M.: Observed small steamer proceeding to the
westward. Examined vessel through periscope, and rose to surface
on her port quarter. Signalled her to stop. No notice was taken.
Brought her to a standstill by several rounds from a rifle
directed at her bridge. Ordered crew to abandon the ship. This
they carried out with reckless haste, capsizing all but one boat.
Fortunately with this boat they were able to right the other two
and pick up those swimming in the water. An American gentleman
then appeared on the upper deck, who informed us that his name was
Silas Q. Swing, of the 'Chicago Sun,' and that he was pleased to
make our acquaintance. He then informed us that the steamer was
proceeding to Chanak with Turkish marines, and that he was not
sure if there were any stores on board.
"Ran up alongside and put Lieutenant D'Oyly-Hughes on board with
demolition party. He discovered a 6-inch gun lashed across the top
of the fore-hatch--the forehold containing one large 6-inch gun
mounting and several small 12-pdr. pedestals, the guns for which
were probably at the bottom of the hold.
"The after-hold was full of 6-inch projectiles, and on top of this
were resting about fifty large white-metal cartridge-cases marked
Krupp. The demolition charge was then placed against the ship's
side in the after-hold, well tamped with 6-inch shells and
cartridges. All hands returned to the boat and the charge was
fired. The vessel exploded with a loud report, and a large column
of smoke and flame shot up."
At 11.15 A.M. "E 11" dived into Rodosto harbour after a heavily-laden
store-ship. At 12.35 she torpedoed her as she lay alongside the pier.
In the afternoon she missed a paddle-steamer which managed to save
herself by beaching.
On the 25th "E 11" dived into Constantinople and torpedoed a steamer
alongside the arsenal. On the 28th she sank a large supply ship. On the
31st she torpedoed a large vessel lying in Panderma Roads. On June 2nd
she got another, which was probably--from the violence of the
explosion--laden with ammunition. On June 7th, on her way out of the
Sea of Marmora, "E 11" sank a large troopship and so finished her
cruise. I am quoting these statistics to point out what damage may be
done by a single submarine on an army's line of communication.
The moral effect (in such ways as delaying and scaring traffic) is, of
course, as great as the material, and probably far greater.
The Marmora submarines hardly deign to mention such small fry as dhows
and other sailing ships, but the list runs to a great length when put
together. Here are a few days' sinkings by "E 14" (Commander Boyle). On
June 20th she sank three dhows, on the 22nd one, on the 23rd a
two-masted sailing-ship, on the 24th two dhows, and on the 27th a
brigantine.
Nowadays a submarine on that sort of duty would have to expect all
kinds of retaliation and unpleasantness, but at that stage of the war
the anti-submarine work was feeble, and the enemy must have cursed at
his own impotence to defend his sea routes.
"E 12" (Commander Bruce) was the boat that had the battle at ten yards'
range with an armed tug in the Sea of Marmora. She came victorious out
of the action, having sunk her opponent. She had a habit of using her
one gun in a violent manner which caused much distress to the enemy. On
the 16th September 1916, on a trip up the Dardanelles, she torpedoed a
munition steamer in Burgas Bay. On the 18th, being then inside the
Marmora, she
"Dived into Rodosto, but found nothing. Chased torpedo-boat of the
'Antalia' class off Kalolimno Island. We both opened fire at about
8000 yards, the torpedo-boat turning towards us. The fourth shot
hit her aft, and she then turned and proceeded at high speed
towards Constantinople, seeming to be on fire aft."
The Turkish anti-submarine craft must have been in the position of the
darkey who hooked the alligator--"Is dis nigger fishing, or is dis fish
a-niggerin'?"
"E 12" continues unmoved--
"Proceeded into Mudania, bombarded Magazine outside town, hit it
eight times, silenced the batteries which opened fire on us and
damaged the railway. Sank two sail and proceeded towards Gulf of
Ismid."
Nothing was seen in Ismid owing to fog, and so she tried the vicinity
of Marmora Island, where on the 21st she sank a steamer of 3000 tons
and six dhows. Things were dull till the 28th, when she sank three off
Ismid. On the 29th she met with anti-submarine work again.
"Sank one sail off Rodosto. Destroyer came out, but returned again
on sighting us, ... we were opened fire on from Sar Kioi. Opened
fire on them and silenced their guns. Sank four sail three miles
farther to the westward. Aeroplane dropped two bombs, the nearest
falling 30 yards from our stern."
On the 5th October she sank a small steamer and seventeen sail in
Rodosto Bay. An aeroplane dropped a bomb at her with no success. On the
9th she chased a torpedo-boat on the surface, but was unable to get
within range. On the 12th she sank another steamer, and on the 17th
submarine "H 1" having come up the Dardanelles also, the two boats
chased a gunboat and, getting each side of her, gave her an unhappy
time. They hit her several times and she appeared to have lost control,
as she nearly went ashore on Kalolimno Point. Eventually she found
shelter in Panderma. "E 12" dived in after her, but owing to fog could
not see her. Both boats waited patiently all night in hopes of her
coming out, but were disappointed. On the 19th "E 12" fired on
Constantinople powder factory and had hit it three times before 5·9 in.
guns opened fire on her from the shore and made her dive.
On the 25th "E 12" returned down the Narrows. Her experience with the
net should be read, remembering that she was an old boat and not meant
to stand deep-water pressures.
She passed through the net at 80 feet depth and carried a portion of it
with her. This portion must have had some of the heavy weights attached
that had been holding the net down, for as the boat came through she
took a big angle down by the bow and sank.
The forward hydroplanes caught in the net jammed at "10° of dive." "E
12's" external tanks were blown out and full speed put on the motors.
The boat continued down, however, and as the pressure increased, the
conning-tower glass scuttles burst in and the conning-tower filled up,
the hull leaked forward, and the fore compartment had to be closed off.
By putting three men on the wheel the bow hydroplanes were moved a
little, and after ten minutes at 245 feet the boat started to rise.
They managed to check her at 12 feet, but found her almost
uncontrollable. Six patrol boats opened fire as the conning-tower
showed above water, and then the panting hydroplane men forced her down
again. The boat continued to dive badly (she was still towing the net
and sinkers), and twice she ran down to 120 feet. Both diving gauges
had failed and the gyroscopic compass had followed suit. The
conning-tower (magnetic) compass was flooded out and useless. Then at
80 feet she struck chain moorings off Kelid Bahr and scraped past. This
broke away the length of net she had been towing, and released of the
weight she rose at once, and before the tanks could be filled again
broke surface. The shore batteries and patrol vessels opened fire at
once, hitting the conning-tower full with a small shell and sending
other small shells and splinters through the bridge. As the boat went
down (the conning-tower being flooded already, the shell hole was
nothing to worry about) a torpedo fired from Kelid Bahr passed over
her, and another 50 yards astern of her. "E 12" continued her dive
towards home, her trim and control being then normal. She observed two
large explosions a couple of miles astern of her and saw the track of
another torpedo, but was not further molested, and joined the
Dardanelles Fleet a few hours later.
Submarine "H 1" (Lieutenant Pirie) has been mentioned as having worked
in company with "E 12." An "H" boat is, of course, much smaller and
less seaworthy than an "E," being of 400 tons and 150 feet length.
Before meeting "E 12" at the rendezvous, this boat had sunk a steamer.
Later she sank three more steamers and a dhow. As "E 12" was leaving
the Marmora first, she politely took "H 1's" mails out with her.
"E 7" (Commander Cochrane) made herself unpopular with the enemy in
July of 1915. She passed up the Dardanelles (being missed "overhead"
by a torpedo fired from Kelid Bahr) on the 30th June, and on 2nd July
sank a steamer and two dhows in Rodosto Bay. On the 3rd she sank a
brigantine, and on the 6th a 200-ton Zebec and another brigantine. On
the 7th she got a tug and a ferry-steamer and had an action on the
surface with a two- or three-gun gunboat which retired, leaving a dhow
to its fate. In the evening she chased a ferry-steamer ashore. In the
morning she sighted the same ferry-steamer under way and sank her. On
the 9th she got a Zebec, and on the 10th she dived into Mudania and
torpedoed a steamer alongside the pier. On the 11th she sank two
dhows, and on the 15th she dived into Constantinople and fired a
torpedo at the Arsenal (which is close to the water) in the hope of
detonating something. The explosion was very heavy when the torpedo
hit. She then dived out and came to the surface off Zeitunlik Powder
Mills, into which she fired twelve rounds. On the 16th she sank a
dhow, and at 9.30 A.M. on the 17th she opened fire on a railway
cutting a mile west of Kaya Burnu and blocked the line. She then
waited till she saw a heavy troop train going west, and chased at full
speed to pick up the fruits of her labours. The train entered the
cutting, and, as was expected, backed out again into Yarandje Station.
"E 7" settled down to work, and after twenty rounds had been fired,
three ammunition cars blew up. Later in the day she shelled another
train and hit several cars, without, however, doing so much damage.
She concluded an interesting day by sinking another dhow. On the 18th
she sank a brigantine, and was fired at by rifles from Mudania. She
replied by hitting a steamer with one shell, and the buildings from
which rifles were being fired with ten. Three shells fired into a
small shed on the beach produced heavy and satisfactory explosions. On
the 19th she sank four sail, and on the 21st one; on the 22nd she
fired again on a train rounding Kaya Burnu and on a stone railway
bridge. On the 24th she came back through the Narrows, presumably to
the immense relief of the Turks. On her next trip, as has already been
related, "E 7" was sunk and the crew captured. The coxswain was
imprisoned some 60 miles from the coast of Asia Minor. He made a small
canvas boat, _carried it with him_ to the beach across that 60
miles of hills and put to sea. He was blown back by a gale, however,
and recaptured on the day that his captain escaped from a camp 300
miles inland.
In these interminable lists of sinkings of unarmed vessels it may
appear to the reader as if the work had been done roughly and without
consideration for the lives of non-combatants. The following report
from the commanding officer of the flotilla should be noted:--
"The destruction of the enemy's means of transport in the Sea of
Marmora has been pursued throughout with the utmost regard for
humanity. Ships carrying refugees have invariably been spared, and
the crews of sailing vessels either given time to escape or rescued
at considerable inconvenience to the submarine. On many occasions
the crews of vessels destroyed have shown their surprise and
gratitude at the consideration shown to them."
The first boat to enter the Narrows was "B 11" (Lieutenant Holbrook).
She successfully torpedoed and sank the Turkish battleship
_Messudiyeh_. The outstanding fact of this feat was that the boat
was built in the summer of 1906, making her well over eight years old
when she went into the Dardanelles. Eight years is a great age for a
submarine in a Service which advances every month in the knowledge of
construction, and "B 11" was in 1914 almost ready for a final paying
off. She showed, however, that the old boats were by no means useless
if handled as they should be.
The first trip right into the Marmora was by "A-E 2" (Lieut.-Commander
Stoker). She was an Australian boat of the same type as the other E's.
She was unfortunately sunk by a destroyer in the Marmora after getting
in.[4]
[4] As I have not the despatch by me, I am postponing the
account of her passage till later.
In the Baltic also, at the beginning of the war, targets were far more
plentiful than in the North Sea. Commander Horton in "E 9" sank a
destroyer on January 29, 1915. On June 4 he sank a transport which was
protected by a destroyer screen. On July 2 he torpedoed and badly
damaged the _Prinz Adalbert_. On July 29 "E 1" (Commander Laurence)
sank a transport. On August 19 he torpedoed and damaged the _Moltke_,
incidentally causing the enemy to withdraw from the attack on the Gulf
of Riga--an attack which at the moment showed every probability of
succeeding. Later in the war the Germans renewed their attack
successfully--secure in the knowledge that the internal conditions
caused by the Revolution had prevented the British submarines from
operating. At that time we had in the Baltic four "E" Class ("E 18,"
Lieut.-Commander Halahan, having been lost at sea in May 1916 with all
hands, from a cause unknown) and four "C" Class. The latter boats had,
instead of entering the Baltic by the Sound, come in August 1916 _viâ_
the White Sea and up the Dvina river in wooden barges towed by tugs;
they came practically empty, and their batteries, etc., were replaced
in them on arrival at Petrograd. The Revolution caused such chaos that
the flotilla was practically tied to harbour after the Soviet
Government's installation. "C 27" (Lieutenant Sealy), however, was able
to torpedo a transport during the attack on Oesel, and was also
reported to have damaged one of the screening vessels. There is no
doubt that the knowledge that these submarines had been rendered
powerless enormously helped the Germans in the Baltic. Perhaps the best
tribute to their efficiency is the insertion by the enemy in the Peace
Treaty with Russia of a clause insisting on the British boats'
destruction. On April 5, 1918, the boats were blown up and the crews
came home overland.
Curious stories were brought back by the returning officers and men of
Revolutionary conditions. The English were not molested, but were still
apparently respected by the Russian sailors. One unfortunate seaman of
the Revolutionary Navy had insulted one of our officers, who complained
to the Council about it. The wretched man was arrested, and would have
been executed if the officer had not personally begged for his life.
This being granted, the man was brought across to the E boat to
apologise. His mates assisted him to do this by rubbing his face on the
iron deck before the Lieutenant-Commander's feet. He was then sent
indefinitely to Siberia. The same men who took such steps to uphold
politeness to England and her officers at that date, had already
brutally hacked numbers of their own officers to pieces, and had
drenched their Admiral in paraffin and set a light to him.
When the inevitable end came, and the German transports were
approaching, an effort was made to get both British and Russian
submarines to sea. The following incident is hardly credible, but I
believe it is true: one Russian boat on leaving harbour did a dive for
practice--a very wise thing to do. Her after-hatch was open, and should
have been closed on the order to dive. It was not closed, for the
simple reason that the man whose duty it was to close it was having his
"Stand easy" at the time, and therefore considered the order to shut
down to be unconstitutional. He was near the hatch himself, and he sat
there and watched the Baltic come in as the boat went under; if ever
anybody died for his principles that man did. However, the captain and
first lieutenant of the boat escaped as she sank, and were
court-martialled for losing their ship. By a nightmare of Revolutionary
logic they were sent to Siberia, the court finding that the order to
shut down was illegal and harsh, in that certain of the crew were
taking their rest, and could not be expected to obey any order.
The E boats at that time had a number of Russian officers on board who
had come to them for protection. It was customary for the Russian crews
to vote for their captains, and as the life of a captain (controlled by
a Council of the crew) was a short and precarious one, it was not
uncommon for a new leader of a poll to desert by swimming to the
British flotilla. When the flotilla was eventually destroyed by its own
officers, Captain Cromie remained to make a last effort to bring the
fighting forces back to the Allies' side. As is known to all the world,
he closed with his death on the Embassy stairs a chapter of history
that our Navy will never have cause to be ashamed of.
Revolutionary crews in Russian submarines gave illustrations of what
happens if democracy is carried to its limits. An English submarine
officer did a short trip in a boat belonging to the Russian Navy, and
his comment about it was that "if it had not been so serious it would
have been comic." The crew's committee had dismissed the engineer and
mechanicians for reasons of their own, with the result that furious
altercations used to go on as to the best way to start up the engines.
The results were not always successful; but the cook, who seemed to be
the only man aboard who knew how it was done, used to eventually
intervene and make the much-enduring metal get to work again. This, of
course, was at sea and near to the enemy.
Some difficulties were experienced in keeping the British submarine
sailors away from the Russians when the boats were in harbour. Captain
Cromie reported on one occasion: "I regret to report that striking
cases are becoming more frequent, chiefly due to insolence on the part
of the Russians and a growing contempt for them on the part of our
men." Our sailors had no objection to anybody's political opinions, but
they did object to a spirit of murder in substitution for a fighting
spirit. The whole of Russia at that time was in a turmoil. Bolshevism
was beginning, and the Germans were sweeping up the Russian ships and
defences as if they were empty. The Russian Naval Commander-in-Chief
went in person to assist in the defence of the Gulf of Riga. When he
and his staff arrived at Hapsal they had to walk seven versts to
Rogikoul, as the railway was on strike for vodka!
The Baltic submarine flotilla vanished with the collapse of Russia, but
it had made a great name for itself. Even during the nightmare of
revolutionary lunacy that preceded the end, it was looked on by all the
Russians as the one straightforward and efficient force that remained.
The lowest as well as the highest respected it as the symbol of honesty
and courage. During its career it had caused the greatest annoyance to
the enemy, on occasions holding up and stopping practically all traffic
from Germany to Sweden in enemy ships. The following extracts show the
way some of the work was done:--
"'E 9' (Commander Horton), October 18th, 1916, 5.50 P.M.: Chased
steamer and ordered her to stop by International Code and by
firing maxim ahead of her. She proved to be the German ship
_Soderham_ of Hamburg. Boarding party went aboard and told
crew to abandon ship, then opened up sea-cocks and exploded
demolition charges.
"At 7.15 P.M. stopped a ship with flashing lamp and maxim. She was
the _Pernambuco_ of the Hamburg South American Line--from Lulea to
Stettin with iron ore (3500 tons). Sent crew off in boats and sank
her. Her chief officer stated her to be of 7000 tons. 6.55 A.M.:
Chased, boarded, and sank the _Johannes Russ_ of Hamburg--same
routine as previously. 10.47 A.M.: Hove to the German ship _Dal
Alfven_, and ordered her to abandon ship. A destroyer was with her,
and approached me at speed. It was impossible to discover her
nationality end-on, so dived and watched her. She proved to be the
Swedish destroyer _Wale_. She took _Dal Alfven's_ crew on board
from their boats. Rose and closed _Wale_. Following conversation
ensued:--
"_Wale._ 'You are in Swedish neutral waters.'
"'E 9.' 'I make myself six miles from land.'
"_Wale._ 'I make you five.'
"'E 9.' 'Neutral limit is three miles--please stand clear while I
sink this ship.'
"11.24 A.M.: Fired stern tube at _Dal Alfven_. _Wale_ was 100 yards
on our beam. Torpedo ran well and vessel sank in two minutes."
"E 19" (Commander Cromie) was at sea also at this time:--
"October 3rd, 5.30 P.M.: Stopped German merchantman. She would not
obey the signal until I hit her with a shell amidships--then she
abandoned ship. Put five shot-holes in her water-line, and left
her on a lee shore. Weather getting worse.
"October 10th: Sea rough with rain squalls. Stopped German ship
_Lulea_. Made crew abandon ship and then sank her.
"October 11th: Sank _Walter Leonhardt_ of Hamburg. Crew taken
aboard Swedish steamer. Then sank _Gutrune_, carrying iron ore to
Hamburg. At 4.55 P.M., stopped and sank _Director Rippenhagen_,
carrying magnetic ore to Nordenheim. Put the crew aboard Swedish
steamer _Martha_. 6.30 P.M.: Sank the _Nicomedia_, carrying
iron ore to Hamburg. Crew pulled ashore.
"Stopped the _Nike_. This ship requiring further investigation, I
put a prize crew on board and sent her to Bevel. Her captain
informed me that twenty German ships, laden with iron ore, are
stopped at Lulea, waiting for escort."
On November 2nd "E 19" was on the traffic route again and sank the
_Ruomi_ of Hamburg. (The work being done by these boats was the
same as the Germans were doing to us, but if the Germans had carried
out their work with the same decency and care for the lives of the
non-combatants they would be receiving far more consideration and
respect from us now.) The enemy had now started to protect their
traffic lane, and they sent out a cruiser to drive the E boats away.
"E 19" continues (November 7th, 1.45 P.M.):--
"Fired starboard beam tube 1100 yards' range, hitting her forward
on starboard side. The cruiser (_Ancona_ class) swung round and
stopped. At 1.55 P.M. fired stern tube at 1200 yards. Torpedo hit
just abaft main-mast, and after-magazine blew up. Three minutes
later there was no sign of her."
The German ships torpedoed in the Baltic seem to have had touchy
magazines. Commander Goodhart "E 8" met the _Prinz Adalbert_ on
October 23rd, 1915. She was zigzagging slightly and going 15 knots,
with two destroyers zigzagging ahead as a screen. The torpedo was fired
at the fore-bridge as she passed, and--
"Observed very vivid flash of explosion along water-line at point
of aim. This was immediately followed by a very heavy concussion,
and the entire ship was completely hidden by a huge column of thick
grey smoke--fore magazine having evidently been exploded by
torpedo. As many portions of the ship were observed to be falling
in the water all round, I proceeded to 50 feet depth."
The range of this shot was about 1300 yards. This comparatively long
distance was fortunate, as the resultant explosion would have probably
caused a terrific shock to "E 8" had she happened to fire from closer.
The E boats in the Baltic came from Harwich _viâ_ the Sound. It
sounds simple, but it was a remarkably difficult and dangerous trip.
For six miles in the narrows it is too shallow for a submarine to
submerge. The boats had to trim down and go along with their
conning-towers showing and their keels bumping along the rocky bottom.
The traffic--both neutral and enemy--was so thick that it was not so
much a question of avoiding being seen, as of actually avoiding
collision. A maze of moving and fixed lights, searchlights,
star-shells, and attempts to ram made up a nightmare of navigational
difficulties to add to the normal anxiety of passing through thick
traffic in a narrow channel. It was really a marvel that any boats got
through safely at all.